


Of Dusk and Dawn

by IronWoman359



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders
Genre: (non-human blood; but still blood), Abuse, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Blood, Fairies, Injury, M/M, Magic, Villain Deceit Sanders, fantasy shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 18:31:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15055193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IronWoman359/pseuds/IronWoman359
Summary: In a world of spirits and magic, two races are at constant odds. The fairies of light and the spirits of shadow may officially be at peace, but there is no mistaking the disdain the two peoples hold for one another. So when a curious Light Fairy meets a shy, withdrawn Shadow Spirit, he knows that a friendship would be impossible. So why does he keep coming back to meet him at every Dusk and Dawn, the only times when the races can manifest in the world at the same time? Why is he growing attached to this person who should by everyone’s accounts be his enemy? And why does he start to feel a giddiness in his stomach every time they meet? As the conflict between their races worsens, these two unlikely companions must make a horrible choice: do they side with their people? Or with each other?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings for this fic will be on a chapter to chapter basis, but general warnings for the fic include fantasy style violence, mentions of physical and emotional abuse, strained family relationships, and near death experiences. Please enjoy the story, but stay safe and heed the warnings in each chapter. Thank you!

Ever since he was a child, Patton had loved the world, and everything in it. He loved the bright green grass that covered the meadow like a soft blanket, he loved wildflowers that dotted the fields like paint splatters and filled the air with a sweet perfume, he loved the cool, crystal waters of the river that snaked its way through the valley, giving life to all in its path. Patton loved chasing ladybugs and playing hide and seek with squirrels, he loved stretching his gossamer wings and zipping through the air alongside the butterflies and the bluebirds, and most importantly, he loved his friends. He loved going on adventures with the playful fire sprite he had known since childhood, and he loved his long talks with the level headed water nymph he had met when he was a teenager.

Yet there was one thing in the world that he did not love, one thing that he had been raised to fear, as had every light fairy from the time they were born. 

The Darkness. 

Patton had learned fear of the Darkness from his mother, who had told him time and time again how dangerous it was. 

“Patton dear, you must never stay out into Dusk. That is when the shadow spirits come to bring about the sunset and the night. We are creatures of sunlight, and if you are caught out in the world when the sun goes down, your light will go out. The night is not our realm to trifle with. Leave it the shadows, and stay with the dawn and the day.” 

When Patton was a child, he would nod solemnly, happy to heed her words. At the first signs of the sun dipping lower into the sky, he would say goodbye to his friends and fly back into the sun, returning to the light fairies’ realm. But Patton was nothing if not curious, and as he grew older and came to know the fields and the forests and the mountains like the back of his hand, his curious mind turned towards the one thing he still knew nothing about. 

“Logan?” 

The water nymph looked over at Patton, surprise written on his face. The two had been lying beside his river in silence for over twenty minutes, watching the clouds roll lazily across the sky, and he had honestly not been expecting conversation. 

“Yes, Patton?” 

“What’s the night like?” 

Logan sat up and turned to face his friend. 

“Patton…” he warned, a frown forming on his brow.

“I’m just curious!” Patton said quickly, flashing a smile that was (literally) as bright as sunshine. Logan still looked apprehensive, and Patton sighed, letting the smile drop. “Look Lo, I just…I’m never going to get to see it, you know? There’s so much in this world to see, and I want to see  _all_  of it, but…” Patton held up his hands and examined the soft glow that constantly emanated from his skin. “There is a part of life that…because of what I am…I’ll  _never_  get to experience.” 

Logan sighed. He could appreciate a healthy curiosity, but he had met Patton’s mother once, just once, when Patton had stayed out only fifteen minutes longer than normal. She was quite a formidable woman when angry, and her anger had been matched only by the terror in her eyes at the possibility of Patton getting hurt. Her reaction alone had been enough to convince him that the stories about what happened to light fairies at night were true. Logan did not wish to cross Patton’s mother, but he also did not wish to lose his friend. Suppose he told him about the night, and it made Patton long to see it even more? Then again, suppose he told him nothing, and  _that_  drove the excitable fairy to stay out later? 

“Logan?” 

Patton’s voice cut through his over analyzing, and he sighed. 

“Patton, I will tell you about the night, on two conditions.” 

“Really! That’s great Lo, thank you-” 

“Condition number one,” Logan interrupted, holding up a hand. “You don’t tell your mother I’m doing this.” 

Patton stared at him for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed. 

“Believe me Lo, my mom finding out that I’m still curious is the  _last_  thing I want.” 

“Condition number two,” Logan continued, his voice so serious that Patton stopped laughing and turned to face him. Shining gold eyes met sparkling deep blue ones, and Patton was surprised to see concern etched across Logan’s face. “Take my explanation for what it is, then don’t go looking deeper? Ask me all the questions you want about the night, but don’t look for the answers yourself.” 

Patton stared at his friend, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. Logan was always serious, of course, but rarely was he this emotional. His powers, like all elementals, were fueled and directed by his feelings, so Logan usually chose to keep his tightly in check when he did not need them. 

“Patton, please. Promise me,” Logan urged, and Patton nodded. 

“Of course, Logan. I promise. I don’t have a death wish, you know,” he added with a smile, hoping to lighten the mood. Logan eyed him, still skeptical, but eventually nodded back. 

“Very well then. What do you want to know?” 

Patton’s smile widened, blossoming across his face. 

“Well…” 

The two talked for what seemed like hours, Patton firing off question after question, Logan answering each of them patiently, giving as accurate descriptions as he could. So engrossed was Patton in their conversation that he didn’t notice the telltale warming of the air around them or faint crackling sound behind him until it was much too late. Logan, however, did notice, and rolled his eyes. 

“Oh for goodness sake,” he said, flicking his hand, causing a wave of water from the river to rise up in a wall behind Patton. 

“Wha-?” Patton turned, just in time to see a small fireball hit the wave and fizzle out. He smirked, and folded his arms at the figure who was coming towards them, blurry and distorted by Logan’s shield. 

“No fair!” the fire sprite protested as Logan let his hand fall, the wave crashing back down into the river. “I was going to surprise him!” 

“Surprise him? Or burn him alive?” Logan shot back. 

“Now kiddos, be nice,” Patton said, doing his best to sound stern but failing miserably as he tried to stifle his giggles, without much effect. 

“Excuse me, I  _am_  nice. It’s the nerd who was ruining my fun.” 

“Setting Patton on fire is not  _fun,_  Roman!” 

“I wouldn’t have set him on fire! Just singed him a little!” 

The two of them might have gone on bickering forever if Patton let them, so he intervened with a bright “Anyway!” that snapped the two elementals out of their spat. 

“What are you doing here, Roman?” Patton continued, smiling at his childhood friend. Roman rolled his eyes, and fluttered his wings impatiently, which sent sparks rising up into the air. 

“We were supposed to meet up to go chipmunk chasing today? Almost two hours ago?” 

“Oh! I’m sorry Ro, I got caught up with Logan here, we can go right now-” 

Roman shook his head and pointed to the sun, which was low on the horizon. 

“No we can’t. Dusk is falling.” 

“Oh…” Patton seemed to deflate as he saw that the fire sprite was right. “Well…I guess we’ll have to do it tomorrow!” He smiled again, forcing himself to be cheerful. “First thing Roman, I promise. As soon as I’m done with the sunrise.” 

With a wave to his friends, his wings buzzed to life and he rose into the air, flying headlong into the sun. The two begrudging friends watched him fly away until they couldn’t see him anymore, his form being absorbed into the sun’s golden rays. Logan let out a sigh when Patton was gone, and his shoulders slumped. 

“What?” Roman asked, absentmindedly conjuring a small flame in his palm and letting it dance between his fingertips. 

“I worry about him,” Logan said simply, waving his hand over the river and watching as the current sped up in response to his command. Roman laughed and closed his fist, the flame disappearing. 

“You’re just like his mother.” 

“Falsehood. I am not  _nearly_  as bad as her.” They both chuckled at that, but Logan couldn’t help but turn his gaze back towards the now setting sun. The golden light reflected in his watery blue eyes, and Roman frowned. 

“What is it, Logan?” 

“I just…he’s going to be ok, isn’t he?” Logan asked, sounding more vulnerable than Roman had ever heard him. Part of him was touched by the clear concern that Logan had for their mutual friend, but that didn’t mean he thought it was a justified concern. 

“Of course he will, Logan,” Roman reassured. “It’s  _Patton_.”

Logan laughed dryly. 

“I know. That’s what worries me.”


	2. Chapter 2

Patton was pulled from a deep, peaceful sleep by the sound of a bell tone; a bold, clear sound he knew was echoing across the entire kingdom. He opened his eyes to the same soft, golden glow he had closed them to. Warmth, light, and safety surrounded him and he gave a contented sigh. The realm of the light fairies was so peaceful…

“PATTON!” 

Patton sighed. Well, it would be peaceful if it weren’t for his mother pounding on the door to his bedroom. He rolled out of bed and stretched, giving his wings a few flaps to get the circulation going after a night of sleeping with them tucked behind him. “Patton, get up! The Bell of Dawn is ringing!” his mother’s voice called through the door, and Patton rolled his eyes.  

“I CAN HEAR IT, MOTHER!” Patton shouted back as he pulled on his pants and began fumbling with the drawstrings on his tunic, trying to pull the fabric together at the small of his back below his wings. 

His door creaked open, and his mother stepped into the room, one eyebrow raised and her arms folded in front of her chest. “Well, forgive me for checking. It’s not like my son to be late for his duties…” she paused, then snapped her fingers. “Oh wait, yes it is!” There was a smile in her voice, and Patton turned to see her smirking at him. 

“Turn around,” she commanded, and he did so with a sigh. A blush tinged his cheeks as she deftly strung up his tunic for him, tying the threads into secure double knots. 

“I could have gotten that,” he protested faintly, though if he was truthful, he didn’t mind the gesture. “I’m almost of age; I can tie my own tunic.” 

His mother spun him back around and planted a kiss to his forehead, then cupped his cheek in her hand. The light that emanated from her was warm and comforting; everything a mother’s love should be. 

“A mother never stops babying her child, Patton, no matter how old they grow.” 

Patton took her hand, moving it off his face and clutching it in front of him. “I know,” he said softly, planting a kiss to her knuckles. 

“Now hurry off dear, it’s time for the sun to rise. Make your mother proud!” 

Patton turned and opened the window doors that led out to his balcony. His wings fluttered to life, lifting him a few feet off the ground. He glanced back and smiled at his mother, then he soared away, quickly catching up to the swarm of other fairies who were on their way to earth to bring the Dawn their rays of light.

* * *

Logan was lying on his back admiring the stars, when he saw a few pale rays of light peeking over the horizon. The first of the light fairies were on their way out into the world, which meant that the sun would be rising soon. He turned to look at his stargazing companion, to find that the dark haired boy had fallen asleep with his knees drawn close to his chest. Logan hated to wake him, he looked so peaceful with his purple cloak wrapped around him like a blanket, but Logan knew that he couldn’t stay long. Gently, so as not to be startling, he reached out and shook the shadow spirit’s shoulder.

“Virgil,” he whispered. “Virgil, wake up.”

Virgil’s eyes flew open and he gasped, shooting upright and raising his arms to shield himself. Logan leaned back immediately, raising his hands in a peaceful gesture.

“Don’t be alarmed, Virgil, it’s just me.”

Virgil’s eyes darted around, but when they settled on Logan he let out a breath, visibly relaxing.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes and fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve.

“No need to be Virgil, if anything, I should be the one apologizing,” Logan reassured, doing his best to make his voice gentle and soothing. “I simply did not want you to remain asleep…the time for you to return is drawing near.” He looked pointedly at the sky, and Virgil followed his gaze, frowning as he saw the tendrils of light creeping over the horizon. The stars were fading overhead, and the dark blue of the night sky was slowly fading to a soft gray.

“Dawn,” Virgil said, then he sighed. “I wish…” He stopped, and shook his head, folding his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on his arms.

Logan hesitated, then placed a sympathetic hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“I know,” he said quietly, and Virgil closed his eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath.

The two sat together in silence while the light fairies went to work, slowly sending streaks of pink and orange shooting across the sky. Logan knew that there, in the heart of the sunrise, Patton was one of the fairies carrying the sunlight out into the world.  He looked over at Virgil, who was staring straight ahead at the horizon, unblinking as the light grew progressively brighter.

“Virgil, staring directly into large quantities of light is not good for your eyes,” Logan commented.  _Or the rest of you_  he thought grimly, noting that Virgil’s edges were growing pale and fuzzy as the light fairies began spreading out around them. The sun itself would rise soon, and if Virgil wasn’t back to the shadow realm by then…

His friend grunted, but he blinked and lowered his eyes, focusing instead on picking at the tattered hem of his cloak at his feet. The silence continued, and Logan couldn’t help but squirm. He normally didn’t mind when they did not speak, in fact he normally appreciated that he and Virgil could sit in silence comfortably together, but this morning was not normal, he could tell.

“Virgil?” he prodded gently, and the shadow sighed.

“I hate the Dawn,” he mumbled. He held out his hand in front of him, observing how the dark aura that surrounded his pale skin grew steadily weaker as the sun grew closer to poking over the horizon.

“It makes everything go fuzzy and I get light headed and it means…it means…”

“That you have to go back there,” Logan finished, and Virgil nodded, his hand clenching into a fist.

“I…I truly wish there was something more I could do,” Logan admitted. He worked his jaw and ran a hand through his dark blue hair, sighing as he watched the sky grow lighter.

“You do plenty, Logan,” Virgil said quietly, and Logan frowned.

“Falsehood. If I were able to do more, you wouldn’t be-”

“Logan, stop.” Virgil’s voice was low, but he spoke firmly, looking directly into his friend’s eyes. “There’s nothing you can do. You have your own job to do out here, and I’m forced to go back there, that’s all there is to it. You can’t blame yourself for something you can’t control.”

“Neither can you,” Logan said softly, and Virgil sighed, looking down and his hand again. His aura was hazy now, fading away at the edges, and Virgil wondered what would happen if he just stayed and let the light consume him. Shadows faded, everyone knew that, but maybe fading really wouldn’t be so bad if it meant he didn’t have to go back there and face—

“Virgil, please.”

Logan’s voice broke through the shadow’s thoughts, and he looked up to see worry shining in Logan’s watery eyes.

“Alright,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “See you tonight?”

“Of course,” Logan promised, and Virgil nodded, taking a deep breath. He threw Logan a two finger salute, then sunk into the ground, vanishing like water vapor.

Logan breathed a sigh of relief as barely a minute later the sun poked out over the horizon. However, the relief was quickly replaced with more worry as he considered the fact that Virgil was only marginally safer in the shadow spirit realm than he was in the daylight. Logan could offer support during the night, but his support could only go so far. Virgil was becoming more and more worn down, and Logan was helpless to stop it. The water nymph pressed a hand to his temple; fewer things frustrated him more than not being able to solve a problem.

“Ah, good morning Mr. Flow-it-all!”

Logan groaned. Speaking of frustrations…

“Good morning, Roman.”

“Any word from our favorite ball of sunshine yet this morning?”

“I have not heard from Patton today, no. It’s unlikely that I would have, considering that the sun just rose moments ago.”

Roman shook his head and chuckled.

“Always so serious! One would think that a river nymph of all people would know when to loosen up a little.”

“One would also think that a fire sprite would know how important it is for an elemental to keep tight control over their emotions, lest their powers get out of control?” Logan retorted, raising an eyebrow.

“OOooh, shots  _fired_ there, Roman!” came a cheerful voice from above them.

A frustrated groan escaped Logan’s throat as Patton floated down, the grin on his face as bright as the glowing aura that surrounded him.

“Ah, good morning Patton! Beautiful sunrise, as always!” Roman applauded, sparks flying up from between his palms.

“See,  _that_  is what I am referring to, Roman,” Logan said, gesturing at Roman’s flippant use of power. “Has it not occurred to you that you could hurt somebody?”

“Has it not occurred to  _you_  that I know what I’m doing?” Roman countered, cocking one eyebrow and folding his arms. “Unlike  _some_ people, I choose to use my passion to my advantage. I think that you just worry too much.”

“Has it not occurred to  _YOU_  that I have good reason to?”  Logan shot back, his voice rising.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough guys,” Patton interjected, a worried expression on his face as he glanced back and forth between the two elementals. “You know how I feel about my two best friends fighting.”

Logan sighed, but nodded.

“Yes, of course. Apologies, Patton.” Logan conceded, running a hand through his hair.

“I am also sorry, Patton, I just despair of all this seriousness coming from Logan!” Roman pouted.

“Well, one of us has to be the responsible one,” Logan insisted, and Roman shrugged, not wanting to push the issue further.

“There, all better!” Patton said with a grin. “Now Roman, I believe we have some chipmunks to chase?”

“Ah, yes! Come, you divine ray of sunshine, I’ve scoped out the perfect spot for us.”

Logan watched as the two flew out over the meadow together, chatting about their plans for the day. He sighed, and walked back to his riverbank, wading into the cool, gently flowing water. He glanced behind him, but Patton and Roman had already flown out of sight. He shook his head, then let himself dissolve into the swirling liquid. Logan felt contentment wash over him as he floated freely in the current. He couldn’t help being a worrier, it’s who he was. And who could blame him, really? Between Virgil’s troubling issues and Roman’s recklessness, not to mention Patton’s insatiable curiosity, all of his friends would almost certainly be lost without some sort of grounding presence. He sighed again, and it rippled tangibly through the water. Hopefully, Patton and Roman would be able to keep each other relatively out of trouble today. Logan almost laughed at the ludicrous thought. It was more likely that the light fairies and shadow spirits would end all hostility towards one another.

Suddenly, Logan felt a pulse go through the water, carrying a single phrase through the waves.

_“Help me.”_

Logan felt a pang of sorrow, but he contained it, focusing instead on sending a message back through the current.

_“Don’t worry, Virgil. I’m on my way.”_


	3. Chapter 3

Logan moved with the flow of his river, grateful that his destination was downstream. He stayed in liquid form and used the current to move faster, allowing his emotions to flare up just enough to give him a boost of speed as he pushed himself through the water. Soon – much sooner than he normally would have without the extra force – he arrived at his destination: a crossroads between his river and an underground spring.

Logan left his own waters and followed the flow of the spring, traveling until he reached a wide, shallow pool secluded in the woods. He headed for a large rock at the bottom of the pool, as if he planned on running into it; but instead of colliding with the stone, he moved through it as if it wasn’t even there. Darkness swallowed him for a moment, then his vision returned to him, revealing a completely new set of surroundings.

Most beings assumed that only a shadow spirit could reach the shadow realm due to the shadows themselves simply vanishing on the spot when they traveled back and forth. However, there were several points of contact between earth and the realm of shadows that any being could use to go between the two planes, provided they could survive in the shadow realm. The locations of most of them had been lost after the light fairies and shadow spirits had fought in a great war generations ago. Most of the creatures on earth had sided with the fairies, choosing to alienate themselves from the shadows, so much of their knowledge of the darker realm’s culture had been lost. However, Virgil had shared the location of a few such contact points with Logan, and this one in particular allowed the nymph to sense the water that moved between the two realms.

Logan was now floating in a pool of water almost identical to the first, but the forest surrounding him was very different. The trees in this world grew larger, thicker, and closer together than in the forest back on earth; cheerful looking maples and sunny oaks were replaced by large, solemn firs and pines. Large, luminous mushrooms grew along the bank and on the trunks of trees, casting pulsing blue, green, and purple light into the water. The colors reflected off the smooth surface in a dazzling pattern, gently illuminating the forest. No light shone from the black sky above him, and without the soft glow of the mushrooms, it would be pitch dark in the shadowy clearing.

Virgil sat on the edge of the pool with his bare feet in the water, staring at the reflections in the glassy black surface of the pond with the folds of his cloak drawn up around him. Even from this distance, Logan could see that the shadow’s shoulders were hunched and shaking. Sadness flickered once more in his heart, immediately followed by a hot flash of anger in his chest. The pool rippled in response to his emotion, and Virgil lifted his head slightly at the disturbance. Logan took a breath to calm himself, reigning in his feelings. Now was not the time for a loss of control; he needed to stay rational. He floated forward, rising up out of the pool in a swirling column of water before solidifying and stepping out onto the bank next to his friend.

“Virgil?”

Virgil didn’t look at him, and Logan could hear his breath coming in shallow and ragged gasps. Logan sat down next to him, but not too close, taking care not to smother him. Despite how long they had known each other, Virgil still refused to cry in front of the nymph, and Logan had learned to give the shadow time. The two sat side by side, their toes dipped in the water. Logan sent little ripples chasing each other across the surface of the pool and watched the way the movement changed their reflections. Eventually, he looked over at the shadow beside him, and couldn’t keep silent anymore.

“What is it, Virgil?” he asked as gently as he could manage, knowing that Virgil wouldn’t have summoned him unless it was something bad.

His friend turned to him, and for the first time Logan got a good look at Virgil’s face beneath his dark hood. His light gray skin was marred by an angry purple bruise that covered the skin all around his left eye. The lid itself was swollen half shut, obscuring the shadow’s striking purple iris. Logan clenched his fists at his sides, trying to keep his face calm, but he couldn’t help but frown. It was a very nasty injury to be sure, but he knew that there had to be more troubling his friend. If a bad bruise was all that was wrong, Virgil wouldn’t have bothered calling for him.

“Virgil, I can’t help you if you don’t show me,” Logan insisted, fighting to keep irritation out of his voice. The last thing he wanted was to upset the spirit further. Virgil sighed, but to Logan’s relief he pulled his cloak off his back, wincing at the movement. Logan tilted his head as he watched the shadow’s movements. The deep purple fabric in his hands was torn in several places, and Logan was sure that it hadn’t been damaged the previous evening. It almost looked like it had been shredded by something…

Logan looked up in horror to see nearly identical markings on the back of Virgil’s shirt: long lacerations soaked with a black, sticky liquid that Logan recognized as a shadow’s blood.

“Virgil?” Logan whispered, unable to keep the shock out of his voice.

“I…” the shadow’s voice was impossibly quiet, and even in the surrounding silence Logan strained to hear him. “I c-can’t reach well enough to…” Virgil trailed off, not finishing his sentence, but Logan understood.

The nymph reached out to the surface of the water with his palms facing downwards, then rotated his wrists so that his palms turned up. As he did so, a ball of water rose up out of the pool, and Logan gestured towards himself, the ball following his motions until it was resting in his hands. He concentrated on it for a moment, heating it up and ridding it of any residue from the pool. When it was clean and the desired temperature, Logan looked up, and offered Virgil what he hoped was an encouraging smile.  

“Shirt?” he prompted gently, and Virgil nodded, pulling his ruined shirt off without protest and turning to expose his damaged back to Logan.

With a muttered apology, Logan delicately brought the ball of water up to his friend’s back and maneuvered it up against his skin. Virgil hissed in pain as the water made contact with his wounds, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay quiet as Logan flushed out the cuts.

“I wish I’d known you were bleeding,” the nymph muttered, almost to himself. “I could have brought some bandages.”

“Sorry-” Virgil began, but Logan cut him off.

“Do  _not_  apologize,” he said firmly. “None of this was your fault.”

“It was though,” Virgil muttered, and suddenly the sensation of the water moving against his back stopped. He turned, to see that Logan had let the mass of liquid splash to the ground, an intense expression on his face.

“ _NO_  Virgil, it wasn’t. There is no conceivable scenario where your actions could have justified… _whatever_  this was.” Logan sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair. He shook his head, staring at the marks on Virgil’s back. Most were relatively shallow scratches, but one or two had cut much deeper. It was inevitable that they would leave some nasty scars.

“Virgil, what could have possibly…no, never mind. You don’t have to tell me, I’m sorry,” Logan said, shaking his head. The last thing he wanted to do was make his friend even more uncomfortable, but to his surprise, the shadow spoke.

“It…it started like normal,” Virgil said, his voice low and his gaze fixed to the ground. “Mendax…he was waiting for me outside by the gates when I was on my way back. He was angry; I should’ve been back already but I was late since I fell asleep on the bank.” Virgil clenched his fists, and Logan pretended not to notice that the shadow’s hands were shaking.

“He was yelling and screaming at me, the usual stuff, and then he hit me.” He gestured at the bruise on his cheek, and Logan suppressed the spike of anger he felt at the nonchalant way that Virgil described being attacked by his own uncle. “But then…” Virgil swallowed, and Logan could hear a tremor in his voice. “Well, we were outside, so I guess it gave him the idea, because he…he whistled for-for K-Kazik and he…” Virgil’s breathing quickened and he wrapped his arms around himself, wincing slightly as the movement disturbed the cuts on his back.

“Kazik?” Logan asked without thinking, then silently cursed himself for interrupting. Try as he might, he was not skilled in emotional comfort; he got caught up in information too easily and ended up being insensitive.

“Men-Mendax’s raven,” Virgil said quietly, and Logan’s eyes went wide.

“You mean to say,” he said, his voice tight. “That those cuts. Are from  _a raven’s talons?”_

Virgil nodded and squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to let tears well up in his eyes.

“It…it pinned me down, and…a-and…” Virgil gasped for air, and Logan tried to push down his anger.

_Being angry won’t help him right now,_  he told himself, and he took a deep breath of his own.

“It’s alright,” Logan said quietly, placing a gentle hand on Virgil’s shoulder, taking care to avoid his wounds. “You don’t have to. Just breathe.” He softly tapped a steady rhythm with one finger onto Virgil’s shoulder and breathed in himself for four taps.

The two sat on the shore together in silence, breathing in for four, holding for seven, and breathing out for eight, repeating. Logan felt his own heart rate slow and mind clear as he focused all his attention on staying steady for Virgil. He let his eyes drift over Virgil’s injuries again, and he let the logic take over his thoughts. He reached over and took Virgil’s bloody shirt, turning the material over in his hands and grimacing as the inky black blood stained his fingertips. Virgil gave him a quizzical look as he took the fabric and began to rip it into strips, using the tears from the raven as a starting point.

“Your back needs dressing,” Logan said simply as he worked, methodically turning the shirt into a pile of makeshift bandages. Virgil sighed, but allowed the nymph to wrap his injuries, murmuring a quiet  _“thank you”_  when Logan had finished.

“You’ll need stitches on a few of these,” Logan said as he tied the last bandage in place. “And the dressing will need to be changed. Can you get any medical supplies?”

“I think so,” Virgil nodded. There were so many extra supplies in storage that he was usually able to sneak out what he needed. Logan frowned, as though he had read the shadow’s mind.

“Can you get any medical supplies without significant risk to yourself?” he asked, and Virgil sighed.

“I’ll be fine Logan, don’t worry.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Logan replied, his voice barely audible. Virgil’s eyes flicked upwards for the briefest of moments, purple meeting blue, and in that instant an understanding passed between them.

Logan sighed, and it was a sigh that Virgil recognized. It was frustration, sadness, anger, pity, and resignation all rolled into one. It was so utterly and completely  _Logan_  that a fond smile couldn’t help but play at the corner of Virgil’s mouth. He wanted to stay here; here in the dark with the cool water lapping at their feet and the soft glow of the mushrooms dancing on the surface of the pool, but he knew they couldn’t. He had to get back soon, or his uncle might send someone to go looking for him. And Logan…

“You should go. Your spots are fading,” Virgil said, nodding towards the markings on Logan’s face, neck, and arms.

Logan glanced down at his arm and saw that yes, the normal deep blue of the intricate patterns on his pale blue skin were fading to a dull gray, a sign that he was spending too long away from his own water source. Logan clenched his fist  and pushed a wave of water out away from them, watching as it crashed against the opposite shore. It frustrated him to no end, how bound they both were to their surroundings. Still, there was nothing he could do about it. Perhaps  _that_  was what truly frustrated him. The sense of helplessness.

“Lo.” Virgil’s voice interrupted his thoughts, and he nodded.

“Very well. Will you have the supplies at nightfall?”

Virgil nodded.

“Meet by the riverbank?” he asked, drawing his cloak back over his shoulders.

“An adequate plan. Farewell for now, Virgil. Be careful.”

“I’ll be fine Logan, don’t worry,” Virgil repeated as Logan waded into the pool. Logan shook his head before dissolving into the water, letting himself flow back through the portal to earth and towards his own river.

“When are you people going to learn that it’s what I do?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this was going to be much shorter, so that I’d have room in this chapter to have the scene I have planned with Roman and Patton, but I decided to wait til next chapter for that, since this scene really deserved a chance to breathe. Logan and Virgil have a very close friendship that’s founded on very few words, so hopefully that came across here. I really loved all the world building I got to do in this chapter, I’m falling in love with this universe, so hopefully you guys are too! Oh, and by the way, "Mendax" is a latin word that means "deceitful," "lying," "false," etc.  
> Yeah.   
> Virgil’s Uncle Mendax is the Deceit character in this. So hippity hooray for that. Ugh, I love to hate him. Like, I love writing him, Mendax as a villain has been super fun to brainstorm about and design, but for everything he puts Virgil through, I hate him. Even though that’s technically my fault, as the writer. *shrugs*


End file.
